US-UN discussions on ways to stop Houthi attacks in the Red Sea

The US State Department confirmed that discussions were held between its envoy, Tim Linder King, and his UN counterpart, Hans Grundberg, regarding the Houthi group’s attacks in the Red Sea, noting that they undermine freedom of navigation.

The US envoy to Yemen, Tim Linder King, discussed Tuesday with his UN counterpart, Hans Grundberg, ways to stop Houthi attacks against ships in the Red Sea.

The US State Department's Office of Near Eastern Affairs reported on the X platform that "During a meeting with Grundberg (he did not specify the location), Lenderking discussed stopping the Houthi attacks that undermine freedom of navigation."

In "solidarity with Gaza," which has been facing a devastating Israeli war with American support since October 7, 2023, the Houthis have targeted, with missiles and drones, Israeli cargo ships or those linked to them in the Red Sea, stressing their determination to continue their operations until the end of the war on the Strip.

With the intervention of Washington and London and the tensions taking a noticeable escalation trend last January, Al-Houthi announced that it now considered all American and British ships among its military targets.

The peace process in Yemen

On the other hand, according to the same source, the two envoys discussed progress in the peace process in Yemen, without further details.

On Monday evening, the Yemeni government announced, in a statement by Prime Minister Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, the suspension of the UN road map for a ceasefire with the Houthis, “due to the group’s escalation in the Red Sea and the threat to international navigation.”

On December 23, 2023, Grundberg announced the commitment of the Yemeni government and the Houthi group to a set of measures within a road map that includes a comprehensive ceasefire throughout the country and improving the living conditions of citizens.

Recently, Grundberg presented a briefing to the UN Security Council in which he spoke of “a bleak picture of efforts to resolve the crisis in Yemen,” noting that “the mediation process has become more complex, and that the Yemenis share his feeling of impatience in achieving their aspirations.”

For about two years, Yemen has witnessed a lull in the war that began about 9 years ago between forces loyal to the legitimate government, supported by an Arab military coalition led by neighboring Saudi Arabia, and the Houthi forces supported by Iran, who have controlled governorates and cities, including Sanaa, since September 2014.